Hard drives don't make any difference in the sound restitution, the only difference can be the access time. If the configuration of Audirvana Plus is the same on both of your computers, and if it has an exclusive and direct access to your external sound card (btw, i guess you're using the same...

I agree, IMHO I'm not sure one would be able to notice an improvement with a linear supply for you computer. Using either optic or usb is about transmitting digital information and it isn't related to the "quality" of current going through your computer circuit ; a bit is bit... Moreover, a...

Remote Desktop or implementing your own api to remotely control Audirvana are the only ways in standalone mode since Audirvana itself doesn't have any server module to be accessed through network. A good alternative for Mac to iTunes+Audirvana in order to have a remote access to your music...

Yes it does, an amp does amplify whatever the signal is, it's not that clever .

A external soundcard integrates a DAC. A USB DAC has one global purpose (creating the analog signal from a digital one) and may include features like a SPDIF interface or a headphones amplifier. An external soundcard has usually these features and also ADC features (digitalizing an analog signal...

  Totally agree with that, there is no workaround for that problematic, except if you'd like to get your computer appart and try to put a Faraday cage around the audio components ;)

IMHO If you have trouble listening music from your Oppo even when your hard drive if plugged on it without using Ipad app, I'm afraid you're stucked waiting for a firmware update to solve the problem. If you don't experiment such a trouble, but only when using Ipad app it may either comes from...

Humm, do you know if anyone else have been experimented the same trouble with the oppo ? Oh btw, i'm not sure if I got exactly how you play your music so please tell me if I'm wrong Laptop/Ipad : control the remote hard disk & the Oppo through network (access the hard disk, control the...

Jamcast, a music server for Windows will let you do that. It's not free but not that expensive. You can get a trial to test it. It will be easily recognized by your Oppo as a DNLA device.

Oh I forgot about your Oppo's setting to check : In the Settings menu go to the network setup :    - My Network should be ON 

About the System Restore problem on Win. 7, go to support.microsoft.com/kb/2709289 You'll find the hotfix to download and the whole procedure to fix the problem definitively.   For Foobar using your Oppo through UPnP : The issue can either comme from Foobar/Win7 or your Oppo itself (or...

I bet you're running on Windows 7  Don't worry, no big deal here... This error is well known, and has been considered not to be hazardous for your data.   So First of all try this workaround :  1 On Windows, launch the "System Restore" app. AS ADMINISTRATOR (you can find it with the search...

Okay so first of all, be ready to read long long threads on that topic, My point of view and advices are far far away from the knowledge of the whole head-fi community  However, I can see you're aiming to get the best quality for a tight budget for HiFi, and trust me it's POSSIBLE (yes we CANs...

Good you've got your sound back !    That's funny you're talking about simplicity, sound cards are way more complicated than a simple usb-dac. One one hand you get a very complex product with tons of different audio processing multiple I/O jacks whose the configuration can be really tidious...

Beside the fact fact you can find fifty reasons to prefer Foobar if you ask your wallet, it depends more of what you're looking for On one hand you have a very efficient music player, on the other hand you have a complete media management system. Foobar get the best of basics for music. It's...